I realize that I haven't written much lately actually about Grenada... as a country.
So I'm going to try to think up some things about Grenada you may find interesting & to prove that it actually is a foreign country, haha
About Grenada - pronounced Gri-nay-da, not Gren-a-da, althought it was named by the Spanish after Granada, Spain
It is an island nation of about 100,000 people located in the Southestern Caribbean, 100 miles northeast of Venezuela. There are actually 7 islands, the 3 largest are Grenada, it is about 20 miles long by 12 miles wide, Carriacou, & Pettite Martinique. The capital is St. George's. It was discovered by Christopher Columbus also in 1492 & was inhabited by the Native Caribs. It has been owned by the French, British, and Spanish in it's history & became an independent nation in 1974.
On October 25, 1983 Grenada was invaded by the United States after the coup and the execution of the former Prime Minister Maurice Bishop. US officials said the execution of Bishop and general political instability, as well as the presence of 800 US medical students at St. George's University were the reasons for military action. But this was also during the Cold War and after overthrowing the government in 1979 Maurice Bishop made alliances with Cuba and other communist nations & was believed to be building an airport for military purposes...
The invasion lasted less than 48hrs and 45 Grenadian troops were killed, 358 wounded & at least 24 civilians were killed. Clint Eastwood made a movie about it called Heartbreak Ridge.
The majority of people in Grenada are decedents of African Slaves brought here by the French and British & it is estimated that only a 1/3 of people born in Grenada still live here, which is why the population is still only around 100,000. Most people immigrate to Trinidad, Barbados, NY, Toronto, and London.
Most people in Grenada are Christian, there is a very strong Catholic influence & there is a small population of Rastafarians.
National Icons
Symbol - Nutmeg
Bird- the very endagered Grenadian Dove
Animal - Ostrich - this one confused me.
Dish - Oil Down
Drink - Rum
Sport - Cricket & Soccer
Song - Grenada May God Bless You
Random Facts
-The volcanic soil is very rich and just about anything grows here
-It's called the Isle of Spice because so many spices are grown here.
-It's against the law for any of the hotels to be over 3 stories or taller than the palm tree, atleast the ones on Grand Anse... & I LOVE this about Grenada. the buildings don't interfere with the landscape.
-Grand Anse Beach is in the top 10 beaches in the world!
-There are 45 beaches in Grenada! I think I've been to 9. and driven past many many others! lol
-There is a Wet and Dry Season. Wet season runs from June-December & is hot and humid. January-June is the dry season & is cooler because of the wonderful trade winds.
The language & common phrases
Ay Boy! - working with the kids at Limes I have heard this one soooo many times. this is how they call each other (& how adults yell at them) I've heard the 4 yr olds yelling AY BOY at a 10 yr old to get his attention... it's funny. and on field day I've used it a couple time, it's insane they don't listen to their own name being yelled but if you yell ay boy they all turn and look... haha. and it's fun to say
No problem - if you ask for something in a restaurant or where ever the typical response is no problem, can I have some more water? no...... problem. I always think they're saying no, but then they trick me with adding the problem. and 30 minutes later they actually will bring water. lol.
De - the
Dis -this
Dem -them
Ting - thing
Lime or Limin - means lots of things relax, drink, a cell phone company.
Jus now - I still don't get this one some times too.... today a girl told me she would be back jus now. and then walked away & I'm thinking no... just now is well, now. you mean in a minute. the bus driver today said we'd be leaving jus now & I got excited that we'd actually be leaving & 20 minutes later we did...
Afternoon - they don't say hi or hello when you pass on the street, they say afternoon and they've totally dropped the good off of good afternoon... and they may say afternoon at 9 am or 7 pm. whatever. It's also not exactly said in a super friendly way, there isn't a smile or eye contact, it's just afternoon.
Hey sexy baby girl hunny pretty girl sweet lady woman sugar etc etc -men. on the street (I would say on the sidewalk but there aren't many of them) try to get as many words in as possible as if they throw all of them at you at once it's going to make a difference....
How many years have you -
how old are you
Jansport - a backpack or book bag. they use the brand name like we use Kleenex
I've also noticed that a lot of people talk very low, I often have a hard time hearing or understanding them. especially the cashiers at IGA and people who work at SGU... and I hate asking people to repeat themselves 10 times. and I've noticed that other people, like the bus drivers talk very loud and fast. haha. either way I lose!
Body language
-When two men greet each other they bump fists... but in a much more relaxed way than say the Obama's famous fist bump, Lee says I still haven't gotten it, I try too hard.
- When walking along the road & a bus asks if you want a ride the women are so incredibly discrete I often can't tell if they've said yes or no until the driver pulls over and the boy opens the door. They either slightly nod or shake their head or to say no they wave their hand the way you would check to see if something is hot or to say yes they point their finger at the bus. haha. it's crazy to me.
ok I have lots more to say about Grenada... but I am so tired now. haha and this is getting long, probably no one will read it. haha.
